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fHE  SOCIAL  EVIL  IN  KANSAS  CITY 


By  FRED.  R.  JOHNSON, 

Superintendent  of  the  Research  Bureau  of  the 
Board  of  Public  Welfare. 

The  following  study  of  the  Social  Evil  was  made  in  the  early 
spring  of  1911  under  the  direction  of  Rev.  Theodore  Hanson.  All 
of  the  statistical  tables  used  have  been  compiled  by  him.  He  was 
assisted  by  Rev.  Frank  Johnston  and  Dr.  C.  B.  Miller,  well  known 
local  pastors,  as  well  as  by  a  number  of  investigators  from  the  Board 
of  Public  Welfare.  He  had  the  cordial  assistance  of  Chief  of 
Police,  W.  E.  Griffin. 

This  investigation  included  only  the  houses  of  ill  fame  on  the 
police  fine  list.  No  survey  was  made  in  this  connection  of  the  room¬ 
ing  and  lodging  house  evil,  nor  did  time  permit  any  detailed  study  of 
allied  problems  such  as  street  soliciting,  the  relation  of  the  saloon 
to  the  bawdy  house,  the  local  activities  of  procurers,  etc.  The  work 
done  was  of  an  intensive  rather  than  an  extensive  character  and  no 
attempt  was  made  to  cover  so  broad  a  field  as  that  covered  by  the 
Chicago  Vice  Commission. 

The  data  published  were  secured  by  interviewing  the  mesdames 
and  inmates  of  the  houses  of  prostitution  themselves.  For  this 
reason  no  claim  is  made  that  all  of  the  information  secured  is  ab¬ 
solutely  authentic.  But  considerable  effort  was  exercised  to  have 
all  interviews  of  a  personal  character,  and  a  greater  willingness  to 
co-operate  was  found  than  had  been  anticipated.  Particularly  was 
this  true  of  the  more  intelligent  of  the  inmates,  who  met  the  in¬ 
quiry  in  the  same  spirit  in  which  it  was  pursued. 


The  City’s  Policy. 

No  settled  policy  either  of  suppression  or  of  segregation  of  the 
Social  Evil  has  been  adopted  by  Kansas  City.  Ordinances  on  the 
subject  conflict.  Some  of  them  would  recognize  the  scourge  while 
others  would  eliminate  it.  Meanwhile  it  has  enjoyed  a  semi-legal 
standing.  The  keepers  of  resorts  are  each  month  brought  into 
court  and  “fined”  for  plying  their  trade.  The  “fine”  is  considered 
as  more  or  less  of  a  joke  by  the  proprietors  and  virtually  amounts 
to  a  license.  It  serves  not  to  deter  but  rather  to  make  them  re¬ 
double  their  efforts  to  make  up  the  additional  costs  which  this  part¬ 
nership  with  the  city  imposes. 


T  1 6 


—2- 

No  Restricted  Area  in  Kansas  City. 

Two  centers  of  the  red  light  district,  with  no  well  defined 
limits,  are  found  in  the  city.  One  is  in  the  North  End,  and  the 
other  on  the  South  Side.  Some  of  the  most  notorious  dives  of  both 
sections  are  found  on  the  main  thoroughfares  of  the  city.  This  is 
particularly  true  of  the  South  Side,  with  a  number  of  the  worst 
resorts  of  the  municipality  existing  on  Main  street  with  its  numerous 
car  lines. 


Present  Extent  of  Open  Prostitvition. 

It  is  from  the  fine  lists,  the  houses  where  the  evil  is  openly 
tolerated,  that  the  following  study  has  been  made.  Unquestionably 
there  are  a  large  number  of  places  in  the  city  of  the  same  character 
as  those  on  the  fine  list,  but  the  exact  extent  of  this  evil  has  not 
been  determined.  That  these  exist  is  amply  evidenced  by  the  fre¬ 
quent  raids  by  the  police  upon  resorts  some  of  which  are  located  in 
the  finest  residence  sections. 

A  study  of  the  bawdy  houses  from  municipal  court  records 
made  by  Rev.  Frank  Johnston  for  the  month  of  January,  1911, 
showed  the  following  results : 

1.  In  the  North  District,  78  houses  were  on  the  fine  list,  the 
fines  assessed  for  the  month  amounting  to  $1,374.00. 

2.  In  the  South  District,  69  houses  paid  fines  amounting  to 
$1,334.50.  During  this  period  24  fines  were  assessed  in  this  dis¬ 
trict  for  street  walking,  amounting  to  $485.00,  and  three  fines  for 
soliciting,  making  $75.00. 

Combining  the  above  figures,  we  find  that  there  were  147  bawdy 
houses  which  paid  a  fine  of  $2,708.50,  the  fines  fon  street  walking 
and  soliciting  bringing  this  up  to  $3,268.50  for  the  month  of  January. 
If  this  amount  were  to  hold  good  for  each  one  of  the  twelve  months 
of  the  year,  the  revenue  to  the  city  from  this  traffic  annually  would 
approximate  $40,000. 

Number  of  Public  Prostitutes. 

The  investigation  of  the  inmates  themselves  was  made  three 
months  later.  This  revealed  99  white  houses  and  22  colored  houses 
of  prostitution  with  460  and  94  inmates  respectively,  making  a  total 
of  121  bawdy  houses  and  554  inmates.  The  discrepancy  between 
this  and  the  147  houses  on  the  police  records  in  January  is  mainly 
accounted  for  by  assignation  houses,  i.  e.,  those  where  no  girls  are 
kept,  but  which  are  placed  on  the  fine  list  because  they  rent  rooms 
for  immoral  purposes. 

The  tables  appended  to  this  discussion  in  no'  instance  account 
for  the  total  number  of  554  individuals.  This  is  due  to  a  number 
of  causes.  In  a  few  cases  certain  of  the  occupants  of  the  houses 


^0-3^  \"p 


Vi  (o 

T  s 


were  absent  at  the  time  of  the  investigation,  a  number  of  others 
refused  information  in  regard  to  parts  of  the  schedules,  and,  in  some 
cases,  the  data  secured  were  so  untrustworthy  as  to  be  rejected. 


Character  of  Bawdy  Houses  and  Inmates. 

The  conditions  in  the  bawdy  houses  themselves  were  very 
varied.  A  few  were  equipped  with  expensive  furniture  and  furnish¬ 
ings  including  the  finest  of  upholstered  chairs,  well  chosen  paintings 
anc  costly  lugs,  while  a  large  number  of  others  were  hovels  of 
repulsive  squaJor.  The  girls  have  been  recruited  from  all  walks 
ot  life.  They  come  from  homes  of  past  wealth  and  social  stand¬ 
ing  as  well  as  from  the  ranks  of  the  poor  and  uneducated  They 
vary  from  those  still  laying  claims  to  some  refinement  and  culture 
to  the  lowest  types  of  human  depravity.  Those  of  the  better  type 
are  continually  slipping  to  lower  levels.  There  is  a  gradual  shift¬ 
ing  from  higher  to  lower  priced  houses  as  the  influence  of  a  vicious 
tu  r,ei?1oves  ^e  personal  charms  which  once  may  have  existed, 
the  table  regarding  educational  advantages  demonstrates  that  the 
inmates  vary  from  the  almost  illiterate  girl  to  the  college  graduate. 

Character  of  Patrons. 

N°  class  of  society  is  exempted  from  this  prevalent  evil. 
Patrons  come  from  all  stations  of  life.  Leading  business  and  pro- 
essional  men  men  lionized  in  society  and  church  members  of  emi¬ 
nent  respectability,  place  themselves  on  the  same  level  with  the 
lowest  hoodlum  of  the  street.  The  only  difference  is  that  the  in- 
tl uence  of  the  former  is  more  vicious  in  luring  a  better  class  of  girls 

not  married6"  Thfelnfa^y'  Marn,ed  mfn  aPPear  to  outnumber  those 
not  married.  The  mesdames  explain  that  this  is  due  to  a  desire  for 

secrecy,  as  younger  men  do  not  fear  being  seen  on  our  thorough- 

fares  in  company  with  street  walkers  and  solicitors.  Upon  visits* to 

Satethe°v  we  7  “7^°"  WaS  °ften  ^P^ssed  by  ^proprietors 
that  they  were  ministering  to  an  imperative  demand  of  society  and 

\'c,re  !lTef°re  essential'  They  likewise  believed  that  all  men  in¬ 
dulged  their  passions  and  that  none  were  virtuous.  Popular  belief 

ILSyz."!*'1"  is  ^  .he 

,  ,  a  fev)  exccptions  the  negro  houses  entertained  the  white 

hrouTwhhVey  anC  many  °f  theSC  girIs  had  met  t,leir  downfall 
tnrougn  white  men. 

A  consideration  of  the  statistical  tables  appended  will  reveal 
some  interesting  deductions.  to  win  reveal 


Social  State  of  Inmates. 

It  is  evident  from  Table  I  that  a  very  large  number  of  the 

-a  35440 


—  4- 


prostitutes  were  married.  The  percentage  for  the  white  element 
was  56  per  cent  and  for  the  total  number  amounted  to  54.7  per  cent. 
Marriage  was  frequently  contracted  after  a  life  of  shame  had  been 
begun.  But,  as  a  rule,  marriage  preceded  the  entry  upon  open  de¬ 
bauchery.  At  times  it  was  but  a  subterfuge  by  means  of  which  a 
new  victim  was  added.  Husbands  not  infrequently  aided  and 
abetted  the  downfall  of  their  wives.  A  number  of  cases  were  dis¬ 
covered  where  the  men  were  thus  supported,  their  wives  making 
a  living  for  both  by  commercializing  their  bodies.  Most  commonly, 
however,  the  downfall  immediately  followed  the  death  or  divorce 
from  the  husband.  Destitution,  as  a  result  of  this  changed  social 
state,  was  generally  a  contributing  factor. 

Nativity  of  Prostitutes. 

The  table  dealing  with  the  place  of  birth,  Table  II,  conclusively 
proves  that  a  very  small  proportion,  in  fact  less  than  3  per  cent,  were 
of  foreign  birth.  We  find  the  explanation  of  this  in  the  comparative 
numerical  unimportance  in  Kansas  City  and  surrounding  territory 
of  the  foreign  element.  The  Social  Evil  in^  Kansas  City  is  essen¬ 
tially  a  native  American  problem. 

Boarding  and  Rooming  House  Life  as  a  Cause. 

Table  III  is  significant.  Out  of  313  white  girls  able  to  state 
definitely  where  they  were  staying  at  the  time  of  the  first  act,  no 
less  than  152,  or  more  than  48  per  cent,  traced  it  to  a  period  when 
they  were  living  in  a  rooming  or  boarding  house.  At  this  point  it 
is  well  to  remember  that  although  the  boarding  and  lodging  house 
population  is  large,  when  both  country  and  city  from  which  these 
girls  are  drawn  is  considered,  those  staying  in  private  homes  far  out¬ 
number  others.  Consequently  when  152  out  of  313  went  astray 
while  in  boarding  or  rooming  houses,  these  places  are  responsible 
for  much  more  than  their  proportionate  quota. 

The  promiscuous  intermingling  of  sexes  without  proper  super¬ 
vision  and  the  lack  of  a  proper  place  in  which  to  receive  callers  are 
largely  responsible.  A  recent  investigation  by  the  Board  of  Public 
Welfare  of  one  of  the  chief  lodging  house  districts  of  the  city 
showed  that  out  of  411  lodging  houses,  only  111,  or  less  than  30 
per  cent,  had  a  parlor  where  guests  might  be  received.  When 
young  girls  away  from  home  and  freed  from  any  restraining  in¬ 
fluence  must  meet  young  men  either  in  the  street  or  in  their  bed¬ 
rooms,  the  first  step  towards  lower  moral  standards  is  taken  and 
others  may  quickly  follow.  Or,  worse  yet,  if  men  with  no  moral 
standards  room  at  the  same  place,  making  common  use  of  house 
facilities,  with  no  prescribed  rules  of  conduct,  it  is  almost  inevitable 
that  damage  will  result  if  the  girl  be  ignorant  and  inexperienced. 


-5  — 


This  table  as  well  as  Table  IV  also  shows  the  responsibility  of 
the  home.  Good  home  training  naturally  is  the  strongest  factor 
which  can  be  found  in  keeping  a  young  girl  or  boy  pure.  Con¬ 
versely,  if  home  surroundings  and  influences  be  detrimental,  and  if 
proper  instruction  in  sex  hygiene  be  neglected,  due  to  a  false  sense 
of  modesty,  unfortunate  results  will  follow. 

Occupations  as  Sources  of  Supply. 

The  relative  importance  of  occupations  as  sources  of  supply  is 
shown  by  Table  V.  Girls  working  in  restaurants  and  hotels  con¬ 
tribute  the  largest  number,  or  30  per  cent.  This  is  an  undue  pro¬ 
portion  and  yet  what  might  be  expected  from  the  nature  of  this 
work.  The  constant  contact  with  all  types  of  men  presents  the 
strongest  temptations.  Undue  familiarities  must  be  borne  whether 
they  be  welcome  or  not,  as  otherwise  the  patronage  of  the  employer 
might  suffer. 

Next  in  importance  is  the  number  recruited  from  the  ranks  of 
domestic  service.  This  furnishes  70  per  cent  of  the  colored  in¬ 
mates.  Clerks  come  next,  followed  by  factory  and  laundry  opera¬ 
tors.  Again  it  must  be  remembered  that  these  figures  express  little 
unless  the  relative  importance  of  different  occupations  be  considered. 
Thus,  although  51  of  the  white  girls  were  domestics,  this  is  not  near¬ 
ly  so  large  a  fraction  of  the  total  number  of  domestic  servants  as  the 
13  telephone  operators  are  of  the  total  number  of  telephone  girls. 

Low  Wages  a  Cause. 

Table  VI,  showing  the  wages  received  by  the  girls  in  their  oc¬ 
cupations  prior  to  the  present  one,  is  truly  startling.  Out  of  a  total 
of  300  definitely  able  to  state  what  these  were,  154  or  51  per  cent 
received  less  than  $6.00  per  week.  Here  we  may  find  a  ready  expla¬ 
nation  of  Lavinia  Dock’s  statment  that  “All  medical  and  social  ex¬ 
perts  who  have  studied  this  problem  agree  that  prostitution  is  a 
disease  of  poverty.”  (Hygiene  and  Morality,  p.  156.) 

Here  we  may  observe  the  interrelation  of  causes.  Perhaps  not 
any  girl  of  strong  moral  character  and  proper  home-training  will  fall 
simply  because  of  her  economic  condition.  But  if  she  be  deficient 
in  will  power,  if  she  has  not  had  the  proper  home-training,  or  if  she 
be  weak  in  some  other  respect,  she  may  become  a  ready  victim  if 
temptation  be  put  in  her  way  while  earning  a  bare  living  wage  or 
less.  The  girl  staying  at  home  can  readily  keep  on  working  for  four 
dollars  a  week,  but  to  the  girl  away  from  home,  totally  dependent 
on  her  own  efforts,  it  will  mean  either  starvation  or  shame  unless 
better  paid  work  can  be  secured. 

It  has  been  conclusively  proved  that  $7.00  per  week  is  the 
lowest  to  afford  decent  subsistence  for  a  woman.  Some  authorities 


— 6— 


would  place  this  at  $9.00.  it  has  also  been  conclusively  proved,  and 
necessarily  follows,  that  industries  paying  not  more  than  $4.00, 
$5.00  or  even  $6.00  per  week  to  competent  women  employees  are  in 
reality  parasitic  and  a  grave  menace  to  the  American  home. 

Ages  of  Prostitutes. 

Table  VII  dealing  with  ages  will  not  be  intelligible  unless  an 
ordinance  of  the  city  be  borne  in  mind  which  provides  that  no 
woman  under  17  shall  be  tolerated  in  any  bawdy  house.  This  rule 
is  rigidly  enforced,  and  its  results  are  very  evident.  A  number  of 
mesdames  keep  only  girls  of  22  or  over  to  avoid  any  possible  conflict 
with  the  law. 


Solicitation  on  Streets. 

This  ordinance  has  a  curious  and  shocking  effect  due  to  the  tol¬ 
eration  of  street  soliciting.  Younger  girls  walk  the  streets  in  viola¬ 
tion  of  ordinances  forbidding  the  practice.  Then  when  the  age  of  17 
or  18  is  reached,  or  later,  they  are  graduated  into  the  house  of  ill 
fame.  This  system  provides  these  resorts  with  a  continual  stream 
of  recruits. 


Years  in  Prostitution. 

It  has  been  customary  to  believe  that  a  prostitute’s  life  as  such 
will  not  exceed  three  or  four  years.  Recent  investigations  repudiate 
this  theory  and  so  does  Table  V.  Thirty-one  per  cent  declared  they 
had  led  such  a  life  for  five  or  more  years,  while  5  per  cent  had 
been  inmates  double  that  time.  However,  there  is  a  rapid  decrease 
in  the  number  after  the  six  year  period  is  reached. 

First  Steps  Towards  Downfall. 

A  striking  similiarity  is  found  in  Tables  VIII  and  IX  showing 
age  of  leaving  home  and  age  when  the  first  act  was  committed. 
Fifty-eight  per  cent  left  home  before  or  during  the  seventeenth 
year,  while  55  per  cent  were  guilty  of  the  first  open  immorality  at 
the  same  age.  For  the  20  year  period  the  percentage  is  the  same 
in  both  cases,  namely,  94  per  cent.  Sixty-two  per  cent  suffered  the 
first  fall  during  the  critical  years  from  15  to  18  inclusive. 

Unregulated  Amusements  a  Cause. 

Table  XI  dealing  with  introduction  to  prostitution  is  very  in¬ 
complete.  It  does  shed  some  light  on  the  intimate  relation  between 
amusements  and  immorality.  Public  dances,  questionable  picture 
shows,  poorly  regulated  amusement  parks  and  burlesque  houses  are 


prolific  sources  of  corruption.  Rigid  supervision  of  these  is  neces¬ 
sary  as  a  means  of  self-protection  to  the  community. 

Causes  Assigned  by  Inmates. 

The  second  part  of  this  table  shows  the  reasons  assigned  by 
inmates  themselves  for  their  position.  Thirty  per  cent  said 
their  downfall  was  of  their  own  choice,  while  55  per  cent  attributed 
it  to  one  of  three  economic  causes — small  wages,  necessity  of  mak¬ 
ing  a  living  after  unfortunate  marriage,  or  support  of  husband.  Un¬ 
doubtedly  the  causes  assigned  as  given  in  this  table  are  not  entirely 
trustworthy.  The  influences  which  make  for  prostitution  are  com¬ 
plicated.  Perhaps  in  not  a  single  case  can  one  cause  be  held  re¬ 
sponsible.  Lack  of  proper  home-training,  ignorance  of  matters  per¬ 
taining  to  sex,  unregulated  and  licentious  forms  of  amusements,  low 
wages  of  women,  economic  pressure  which  generally  makes  early 
marriage  impossible  or  ill  advised,  all  of  these  and  more  are 

responsible.  Surely  he  who  would  place  the  entire  blame  for  this 
life  on  the  unfortunate  victims  themselves  is  guilty  of  very  super¬ 
ficial  observation. 

Influence  of  Church. 

That  church  attendance  or  membership  seems  to  have  been  but 
little  if  any  of  a  deterrent  factor  is  shown  by  Table  XIII.  Sixty- 
four  per  cent  had  had  religious  instruction  or  guidance  of  some 
character.  A  quotation  from  p.  149  of  the  Report  on  Social  Better¬ 
ment,  published  by  the  President’s  Homes  Commission,  is  of  in¬ 
terest  at  this  point :  “Dr.  Howard  A.  Kelly  believes  that  the  Chris¬ 
tian  standard  is  the  solution  of  the  whole  problem  of  chastity.  I 
quite  agree  with  him,  provided  the  church  makes  an  endeavor  to 
combine  religious  and  social  work,  and  until  this  is  accomplished  we 
should  not  hide  the  evil  because  it  is  not  a  pleasant  subject  to  talk 
about.” 


Patronage  and  Profits. 

The  last  table  gives  an  idea  of  patronage,  profits,  and  the  total 
amount  spent  on  open  prostitution.  From  this  table  the  deduction 
follows  that  the  average  number  of  visitors  entertained  per  day  by 
each  inmate  is  4.7.  This  figure  is  less  than  that  found  by  researches 
in  certain  other  cities.  In  Chicago  the  records  of  a  typical  bawdy 
house  showed  that  for  five  consecutive  days  one  inmate  averaged 
26  visitors  per  day  (The  Social  Evil  in  Chicago,  p.  98),  and  that  a 
fair  general  average  might  be  15  per  day  (Ibid,  p.  114).  Since  the 
mesdames  complained  of  the  dull  season  at  the  time  of  the  investi¬ 
gation  in  this  city,  it  is  probable  that  4.7  is  below  rather  than  above 
the  normal. 

Prices  vary  from  50  cents  to  $3.00  and  above,  the  most  com- 


— 8  — 


mon  being  $1.00.  Only  the  lowest  and  most  disreputable  places  are 
50  cent  dives.  $1.50  is  a  fair  average  of  the  expenditure  per  visit 
as  there  are  a  large  number  of  $2.00  houses  and  a  considerable  frac¬ 
tion  which  charge  $3.00  or  over  per  visit.  This  means  that  the  gross 
income  per  girl  is  $7.05  per  day  or  $49.35  per  week.  As  the  almost 
invariable  arrangement  is  that  “the  madame  gets  half,”  we  may 
place  the  average  net  income  of  the  inmates  at  $24.67,  or  in  round 
numbers  at  $25.00  per  week. 

Turning  to  the  profit  of  the  keepers  we  find  that  in  the  average 
house  with  four  girls,  the  madame  has  an  income  of  $98.70  per 
week,  exclusive  of  what  the  sale  of  soft  drinks  and  the  earnings  of 
pianolas  may  add.  Little  profit  is  secured  from  the  sale  of  strong 
drinks  as  the  police  department  forbids  their  use  in  bawdy  houses. 

These  figures  serve  to  give  an  idea  of  the  very  large  profits 
which  the  traffic  affords.  They  explain  in  a  large  measure  the  op¬ 
portunities  for  graft  which  such  large  incomes  make  possible  and 
the  vigorous  opposition  with  which  all  attempts  to  curb  its  power 
are  met.  These  profits  make  possible  the  exorbitant  rents  which 
almost  invariably  are  paid  for  houses  used  for  immoral  purposes. 
And  in  Kansas  City  as  elsewhere  the  publication  of  a  list  of  the 
landlords  which  extort  these  rents  would  startle  the  city. 

Economic  Cost  to  City. 

Let  us  next  consider  the  amount  spent  by  the  whole  city.  Basing 
our  estimate  on  554  inmates  for  the  entire  city,  the  amount  ex¬ 
pended  would  be  $1,425,580.50  annually.  As  the  population  of  Kan- 
City,  Mo.,  in  1910  was  248,000,  we  may  estimate  that  there  are 
75,000  men  and  boys  who  may  become  subject  to  the  lures  of  these 
resorts.  If  all  of  these  were  frequenters  it  would  mean  an  annual 
per  capita  expenditure  of  $19.  If  each  frequenter  should  spend 
$50  on  these  open  places  of  corruption  it  would  take  an  army  of 
28,511  men  to  supply  the  funds  devoted  to  this  debauchery. 

These  figures,  startling  as  they  are,  represent  but  a  fraction  of 
the  sums  spent  on  prostitution  in  Kansas  City.  They  include  only  the 
outlay  in  houses  of  ill  fame  found  on  the  police  fine  list.  We  may 
but  conjecture  the  amount  expended  in  questionable  rooming  houses, 
upon  street  solicitors  and  upon  the  numerous  forms  of  clandestine 
prostitution  which  exist  in  the  city. 

We  have  hitherto  considered  the  more  local  aspects  of  open 
prostitution.  A  wider  social  outlook  may  be  of  interest. 

Extent  of  Venereal  Disease. 

It  is  only  of  recent  years  that  any  considerable  study  has  been 
given  to  venereal  diseases.  But  the  terrible  inroads  being  made  on 
the  manhood  and  womanhood  of  the  nation  have  made  necessary  an 


— 9 — 


abandonment  of  the  time  honored  “conspiracy  of  silence”  on  this 
and  allied  topics.  Today  the  great  Black  Plague — venereal  disease 
— is  beginning  to  overshadow  the  ravages  of  the  White  Plague,  con¬ 
sumption.  According  to  Lavinia  Dock’s  standard  work  “Hygiene 
and  Morality”  (p.  49),  “European  records  indicate  that  about 
seventy-five  per  cent  of  all  men  have  gonorrhoea.  Assuming  that 
a  somewhat  better  moral  standard  prevails  in  the  United  States, 
it  is  given  as  a  conservative  estimate  that  the  prevalence  of  both 

■  gonorrhoea  and  syphilis  among  men  is  at  least  sixty  per  cent.”  Ac¬ 

cording  to  Dr.  Morrow  (Social  Diseases  and  Marriage,  p  25), 
“Gonorrhoea  is  the  most  widespread  and  universal  of  all  diseases 
in  the  adult  male  population,  embracing  75  per  cent  or  more.”  The 

«  Committee  of  Seven  working  under  the  auspices  of  the  Medical 

Society  of  the  County  of  New  York  in  1901  concluded  from  re¬ 
ports  made  by  hospitals,  dispensaries  and  private  physicians  of  the 
city  that  not  less  than  243,000  cases  of  venereal  diseases  were  treated 
there  during  one  year.  All  other  communicable  diseases  reported 
to  the  Health  Department  including  measles,  diptheria,  chicken  pox, 
scarlet  fever  and  tuberculosis  furnished  but  41,585  cases.  Thus,  the 
morbidity  from  venereal  diseases  was  nearly  six  times  as  great  as 
that  of  all  the  other  communicable  diseases  combined.  (Report  of 
Committee  on  Social  Betterment,  p.  135.) 

Effects  of  Venereal  Disease. 

Turning  from  the  extent  of  venereal  diseases  to  their  effect  we 
find  that  syphilis  is  the  only  inherited  disease.  From  Dr.  Morrow’s 
authentic  book  “Social  Disease  and  Marriage”  we  learn  that  20  to 
30  per  cent  of  all  the  blindness  in  the  country  is  due  to  gonorrhoea 
(p.  21),  that  it  is  claimed  syphilis  is  responsible  for  42  per  cent  of 
abortions  and  miscarriages  (p.  27),  and  that  nurses  consider  gonor¬ 
rhea  responsible  for  more  than  45  per  cent  of  sterile  marriages.  This 
gives  but  an  inkling  of  the  social  misery  caused  by  these  diseases, 
particularly  in  the  marriage  relation.  Again  quoting  from  the  Re¬ 
port  of  the  Committee  of  Social  Betterment  (p.  140),  speaking  of 
syphilis,  “Fournier’s  personal  statistics  show  that  90  women  in¬ 
fected  by  their  husbands  became  pregnant  in  the  first  year  of  mar¬ 
ried  life,  50  of  these  aborted,  40  carried  the  offspring  to  full  term, 
but  of  these  only  2  survived.” 

^  Prostitution  the  Cause  of  Venereal  Disease. 

These  statistics  are  given  to  show  the  importance  of  aggressively 
dealing  with  prostitution,  for  all  authorities  agree  that  prostitution 
of  a  clandestine  or  public  character  is  the  prime  cause  of  venereal 
disease.  Again  quoting  Lavinia  Dock,  “The  breeding  place  of  all 
venereal  disease  without  exception  is  in  the  social  institution  called 


—10- 


prostitution,  or  sexual  promiscuity,  in  the  debasement  and  degrada¬ 
tion  of  what  should  be  the  highest  and  most  revered  of  physical 
powers,  those  involved  in  the  act  of  generation.  Bred  and  culti¬ 
vated  in  prostitution,  venereal  diseases  spread  thence  through  the 
community,  attacking  the  innocent  as  well  as  the  guilty,  the  pure  as 
well  as  the  impure,  just  as  typhoid  fever  is  no  respector  of  per¬ 
sons,  no  matter  how  strict  their  own  personal  standards  may  be.” 

Natural  Effects  of  Open  Toleration. 

Measures  dealing  with  prostitution  in  Kansas  City  are  not  of 
interest  to  this  municipality  alone.  The  houses  of  ill  fame  are  the 
centers  of  infection  that  permeates  all  the  territory  which  surrounds 
the  city.  Visitors  from  out  of  town  are  numerous.  Some  of  them 
seek  vice ;  to  others  when  openly  tolerated  it  is  a  source  of  morbid 
fascination.  Not  infrequently,  as  a  result  of  his  first  visit,  the  coun¬ 
try  youth  who  has  hitherto  led  a  virtuous  life  will  carry  away  with 
him  a  contagion  which  is  poison  not  only  to  himself  and  family,  but 
to  the  community  in  which  he  lives.  Every  convention  or  civic  cele¬ 
bration  which  attracts  visitors  from  outside  the  city  brings  an  addi¬ 
tional  supply  of  men  to  swell  the  number  of  frequenters  of  these 
resorts. 

Nor  can  the  evil  influence  which  open  toleration  exerts  on  the 
youth  of  the  city  be  overlooked.  The  high  ideals  which  the  teach¬ 
ings  of  home,  church  and  school  may  have  instilled  in  him  receive 
a  rude  shock  when  he  appreciates  that  his  elders  tolerate  a  system 
totally  at  variance  with  their  teaching.  Thrown  into  an  abyss  of 
temptation  he  is  well  worthy  of  commendation  if  possessed  of  suffi¬ 
cient  moral  stamina  to  remain  pure. 

The  Evil  Deep  Rooted. 

The  unprejudiced  observer  is  convinced  that  no  system  of  sup¬ 
pression  can  totally  eliminate  prostitution.  First  there  must  be  a 
radical  change  in  the  amusements  we  tolerate,  in  public  opinion,  in 
our  treatment  of  sex  problems,  in  our  economic  system,  in  the  atti¬ 
tude  of  the  church,  and  in  the  teaching  and  influence  of  the  home 
itself.  As  we  have  before  noted,  this  evil  is  deep  rooted. 

But,  on  the  other  hand,  no  impartial  student  will  deny  that  the 
governmental  attitude  and  the  position  taken  by  our  police  depart¬ 
ments  are  of  the  greatest  importance  in  increasing  or  decreasing 
the  magnitude  of  the  problem. 

Public  Policies  Towards  Prostitution. 

Two  opposite  policies,  or  modifications  of  the  one  or  the  other, 
have  been  pursued  in  dealing  with  the  evil.  One  would  eliminate 


the  prostitute ;  the  other  would  acknowledge  her  existence  and  neces¬ 
sity  making  her  subject  to  a  system  of  public  reglementation  includ¬ 
ing  segregation  and  medical  inspection.  American  cities  in  general 
can  not  be  said  to  have  adopted  either  a  policy  of  suppression  or  one 
of  regulation.  The  police  cannot  be  persuaded  that  the  former  is 
practicable,  while  public  opinion  would  never  tolerate  the  latter. 
As  a  result  the  whole  question  is  generally  covered  with  a  mask  of 
hypocricy  and  the  true  policy  followed  is  acknowledged  with  reluct¬ 
ance. 


Suppression. 

Those  opposing  suppression  tell  us  that  since  the  bawdy  house 
evil  is  a  result  of  deep  seated  causes,  mere  attempts  at  legislating  it 
out  of  existence  must  needs  be  futile.  They  say  such  a  policy  will 
simply  result  in  scattering  the  evil  all  over  our  cities  and  may  make 
virtuous  women  the  victims  of  frequent  assault,  forgetting  that  as¬ 
saults  are  increased  when  men  are  accustomed  to  the  company  of 
harlots.  They  further  point  out  that  the  character  of  our  police 
is  such  that  a  system  of  elimination  will  never  be  conscientiously  en¬ 
forced.  Undoubtedly  evil  results  of  prostitution  would  be  greatly 
reduced  if  our  American  police  individually  could  be  convinced  of  the 
feasibility  of  a  program  of  extermination  and  would  give  their  whole- 
souled  efforts  towards  its  enforcement.  Such  an  effort  would  at  least 
protect  young  boys  and  the  unsophisticated  not  in  search  of  de¬ 
bauchery. 

Reglementation. 

Those  opposing  public  regulation  point  out  that  segregation 
does  not  segregate.  The  cities  on  the  continent  where  this  system 
is  enforced  show  a  volume  of  clandestine  prostitution  equally  as 
great  as  that  found  in  American  cities  where  attempts  are  made 
to  suppress  it.  They  further  insistently  object  to  any  arrangement 
which  will  single  out  the  prostitute  for  inspection,  while  her  male 
companion  is  allowed  to  go  scot  free,  nullifying  any  beneficial  re¬ 
sults  that  regulation  might  have.  Other  vigorous  objections  raised 
are  that  it  would  be  an  indignity  to  all  sense  of  morality  to  place 
the  official  seal  of  state  approval  upon  this  iniquity  and  that  it  would 
increase  immorality  because  of  the  fancied  security  such  regulation 
would  afford. 

Recommendations  of  the  Chicago  Vice  Commission. 

No  more  interesting  study  of  the  question  briefly  treated  in  this 
report  has  been  made  than  the  one  recently  published  by  the  Chi¬ 
cago  Vice  Commission.  Composed  of  perhaps  the  finest  body  of 
representative  men  which  has  ever  been  gathered  to  give  this  grave 
danger  their  serious  consideration,  the  conclusions  at  which  they 


— 12 — 


arrived  are  of  more  than  passing  interest.  Additional  weight  is 
given  to  these  findings  because  of  the  unanimity  with  which  all 
who  participated  in  the  study  subscribed  to  them. 

Their  recommendations  dealt  with  every  phase  of  this  difficult 
question.  We  shall  cite  only  the  following,  immediately  concerned 
with  the  public  attitude  towards  the  bawdy  house  evil  itself : 

1.  “In  dealing  with  prostitution,  fines  should  be  abolished  and 
imprisonment  or  an  adult  probation  system  substituted.” 

2.  “Prostitutes  who  desire  to  avail  themselves  of  the  oppor¬ 
tunity  or  who  are  arrested  and  convicted  on  charges,  should  be  sent 
to  an  industrial  home  with  hospital  accommodations.  To  this  end 
such  an  institution  should  be  established.” 

3.  “We  recommend  the  enactment  of  State  laws  and  city  ordi¬ 
nances  whereby  a  house  of  prostitution  may  be  declared  a  public 
nuisance,  and  containing  provisions  expressly  giving  to  any  citizen 
the  right  to  institute  simple  and  summary  proceedings  in  equity  for 
the  abatement  of  the  nuisance.” 

4.  “The  police  should  wage  a  relentless  warfare  against 
houses  of  prostitution,  immoral  flats,  assignation  rooms,  call  houses 
and  disorderly  saloons  in  all  parts  of  the  city.” 

These  recommendations  embody  the  attitude  which  the  Chicago 
Vice  Commission  believed  should  be  taken  by  public  officials,  and 
which  formed  the  keynote  of  their  conclusions,  “Constant  and  imme¬ 
diate  repression  of  prostitution,  the  immediate  method ;  absolute 
annihilation  the  ultimate  ideal.” 

No  attempt  has  been  made  in  these  pages  to  overdraw  the  ex¬ 
tent  of  the  Social  Evil  in  Kansas  City.  The  facts  themselves  are  suffi¬ 
ciently  startling  without  any  coloring.  The  city  tolerates  the  exist¬ 
ence  of  147  bawdy  houses  on  the  fine  list.  It  allows  large  numbers 
of  young  girls  from  13  to  18,  as  well  as  older  women,  to  solicit  on 
our  streets.  The  men  of  the  city,  and  oftentimes  innocent  wives 
and  children,  are  in  increasing  numbers  becoming  the  victims  of 
venereal  disease.  Surely  it  is  time  that  vigorous  measures  be  taken 
to  check  an  evil  which  is  of  such  great  injury  to  the  very  life  and 
fibre  of  the  community. 


—13— 


BAWDY  HOUSE  POPULATION  TABLES. 


Table  I — Social  State  of  Inmates. 


White. 

Total. 

Col¬ 

ored. 

Total. 

Grand 

Totals. 

Not  married  _  _ _ __ _ _  _ _  _ _  _ 

181 

234 

114 

155 

104 

37 

415 

40 

33 

20 

28 

14 

12 

73 

221 

267 

- 488 

134 

183 

118 

49 

Married  _  __  _ _ _  _  _  _ _ 

Had  had  children  _  . .  _ 

Number  of  children  born_—  _  _  .. 

Number  of  children  living _  _  __  .  __  __ 

Number  supporting  children.  _  .  - 

Table  II — Where  Brought  Up. 


White. 

Total. 

Col¬ 

ored. 

Total. 

Grand 

Totals. 

In  city,  including  Kansas  City -  - 

In  a  town  _ _  _ _  _  _ 

203 

133 

60 

396 

54 

11 

4 

69 

257 

144 

64 

- 465 

In  the  country  _ _ _  _  _  _  _ 

Table  III — Living  Place  at  Time  of  First  Act. 


White. 

Total. 

Col¬ 

ored. 

Total. 

Grand 

Totals. 

At  home 

75 

31 

106 

Private  home  _  _  _ 

86 

22 

108 

Boarding  house _  _  _  _  .  __  __  _ 

51 

3 

54 

Rooming  house  _  _  __  _  __ 

101 

10 

111 

313 

66 

_ 379 

Table  IV — Cause  of  Leaving  Home. 


White. 

Total. 

Col¬ 

ored. 

Total. 

Grand 

Totals. 

Tn  marry 

130 

12 

142 

To  work  _  _  _  _  __  _  _  _ _ 

97 

26 

123 

Wanted  more  freedom  _  _  _ _ 

51 

10 

61 

Unpleasantness  -  _  _  __ 

46 

4 

50 

Home  broken  up _ _ _  _ _  _ 

36 

7 

43 

To  lead  immoral  life 

25 

9 

34 

Mother  died  _  _  _  _ _  _ _ 

11 

2 

13 

Pregnant  _  _ __  __  _  __  _ _ 

5 

5 

401 

70 

_ 471 

BAWDY  HOUSE  POPULATION  TABLES— Cont’d 

Table  V — Previous  Occupation. 


White. 

Total. 

1 

Col¬ 

ored. 

Total. 

Grand 

Totals. 

Restaurant  and  hotel  _  _  _ 

99 

5 

104 

Clerk  -  _ 

50 

50 

Domestic  service  __  _  __  __ 

51 

39 

90 

Factory  -  _  _____ 

36 

36 

Laundry  -  _  _  _  _ 

22 

6 

28 

Hair  dressing  and  manicuring _  _  __ 

9 

9 

Millinery  and  dressmaking  _  _  _ 

19 

~i 

20 

Telephone  operator  ___  _  _  __ 

13 

13 

Show  girl  __  _____ 

9 

9 

Bookkeeper  and  stenographer  _ 

14 

14 

Nurse  and  teacher  _  _  _  _ 

8 

~5 

13 

— 

330 

— 

56 

- 386 

Table  VI— Wages  Per  Week. 


White. 

Total. 

Col¬ 

ored. 

Total. 

Grand 

Totals. 

Two  to  four  dollars  _  _  _  _  _ _ _ _ 

27 

4 

31 

Four  to  six  dollars _  _  _  _  _  _ _ _  _ 

92 

31 

123 

Six  to  eight  dollars _  ______ 

73 

2 

75 

Eight  to  ten  dollars  _  _  __  _ _  _  _  __ 

32 

9 

41 

Ten  to  fifteen  dollars  _  _  _ 

12 

12 

Fifteen  to  twenty  dollars _ _  _  _ _ 

18 

18 

254 

46 

_ 300 

Table  VII — Present  Age. 


White. 

Total. 

Col¬ 

ored. 

Total. 

Grand 

Totals. 

Eighteen  years  _  _  _  _  _ _ 

Nineteen  years  _  _  _  _ 

33 

1 

34 

Twenty  years  _ _ _  __  __  _ _ _ 

39 

6 

45 

Twenty-one  years  _  __  _ _ _  _  _ _ _ 

47 

4 

51 

Twenty-two  years  _ __. _  __  _  _ 

54 

11 

65 

Twenty-three  shears  _ _  _  _  _  _ 

42 

.10 

52 

Twenty-four  years  _ _ _  _  _ 

33 

6 

39 

Twenty-five  years  _ _ _ _  _  __  _ 

35 

7 

42 

Twenty-six  years  _  _  _  _ _ 

22 

7 

29 

Twenty-seven  years  _  _  _  __  _  _ 

26 

5 

31 

Twenty-eight  years  _  _  _  _  __  _  _ _ 

21 

6 

27 

Twenty-nine  years  _ _ _  _  __  - _  _ 

12 

12 

Thirty  years  _  _  _  _ _  _ 

28 

6 

34 

Thirty-five  vears _  _ _  _ ... _ 

16 

6 

22 

413 

75 

_ 48S 

-15- 


BAWDY  HOUSE  POPULATION  TABLES — Cont’d. 

Table  VIII — Age  When  Left  Home. 


White.  ! 

Total. 

Col¬ 

ored. 

Total. 

Grand 

Totals. 

Ten  years  __ 

18 

1 

19 

Eleven  years -  -  — 

2 

1 

3 

Twelve  years  _____  .  _  . 

9 

1 

10 

Thirteen  years -  _  —  _  - 

13 

6 

19 

Fourteen  years  -  _  __  _  ___ 

31 

7 

38 

Fifteen  years  _ _  _  _  ~ 

50 

6 

56 

Sixteen  years -  -  _  _ 

49 

8 

57 

Seventeen  years _  _  —  _ 

67 

13 

80 

Eighteen  years  _  _____ 

76 

10 

86 

Nineteen  years  _  _  _____ 

39 

8 

47 

Twenty  years  _  _  - 

35 

5 

40 

Twenty-two  years  _  ___  __  _  __ 

19 

4 

23 

Twenty-five  years  ___  _  _  _ 

5 

1 

6 

— 

413 

— — ~ 

71 

- 48. 

Table  IX — Age  at  Time  of  First  Act. 


White. 

Total. 

Col¬ 

ored. 

Total. 

Grand 

Totals. 

Eleven  years _  _  _  __  _ _ 

4 

1 

5 

Twelve  years  _____  _  ____ 

3 

2 

5 

Thirteen  years _  _  _ _  _  ______ 

6 

5 

11 

Fourteen  years  _  _  _  _ _  _ 

17 

3 

20 

Fifteen  years  _  _  _  _ 

22 

10 

32 

Sixteen  years  ___  _  _ _ _  _._ 

39 

18 

57 

Seventeen  years  _  _  _  _  _  _  . 

48 

12 

60 

Eighteen  years  _  _  __  __  _  __ 

62 

4 

66 

Nineteen  years  __  _  __  ______ 

37 

5 

42 

Twenty  years  _  _  _  _ 

23 

3 

26 

Twenty-one  years  _  -  _  _  _ 

12 

1 

13 

Twenty-two  years  _ _  __  _  _ _ _ 

8 

8 

Twenty-five  years  _  _ _ 

J__ 

282 

— 

64 

1 

- 346 

Table  X — Number  Years  in  House  of  Prostitution. 


White. 

Total. 

Col¬ 

ored. 

Total. 

Grand 

Totals. 

One  year  _  _  _______ 

Ill 

13 

124 

Two  years  _—  _  _ 

66 

13 

79 

Three  years  __  _  __  _  _  ___ 

58 

14 

72 

Four  years  _  -  - -  - 

44 

10 

54 

Five  years  _ _  _  _  _  ___  _ 

28 

7 

35 

Six  years  _ _  _  _  _ 

31 

4 

35 

Seven  years  ___  _  __  _  _  _  - 

23 

3 

26 

Eight  years  _  _  __  ______ 

14 

4 

18 

Nine  years _  _  _  _ 

9 

1 

10 

Ten  years  _~  _  _  _ 

7 

1 

8 

Eleven  years _  _  __  ____. 

5 

1 

6 

Twelve  years .  . 

3 

1 

4 

Fifteen  years  _  _  _.  _  __  ___  _ 

6 

1 

7 

— 

405 

— 

73 

- 478 

-16- 


BAWDY  HOUSE  POPULATION  TABLES — Cont’d. 


Table  XI — Introduction  to  Prostitution.  First  Act. 


White. 

!  Total. 

Col¬ 

ored. 

Grand 
Total.  Totals. 

Dancing  _  _  _  _  _  _ 

22 

2 

24 

Drinking  _______  _  _  _ 

24 

2 

26 

Shows  and  suppers  _  _  _ .  '__  __  _ 

10 

10 

Buggy  riding  _  _  _  __ 

14 

14 

Park -  ___  .  _  _ 

14 

_3 

17 

At  school  _ ___  __  _  _  ___  _  . 

11 

11 

Coaxed  - _  __  _  _  _  _  _ 

51 

27 

78 

Forced  - _  _  ________  _ 

14 

3 

17 

Bertayed  -  ___  ___  ___  _ 

25 

185 

4 

29 

41  99« 

CAUSE  OF  LIFE— 

Own  choice _  _  _  _____  ■  _ 

77 

13 

90 

Small  wages  __________ 

69 

1 

70 

Livelihood  after  marriage  __  __  _  _  _ 

76 

11 

87 

Immoral  girl  friends  _____ 

21 

4 

25 

Disappointment  _  _ 

4 

4 

Deceived  _ _  _  _  _  _  _ 

10 

10 

Solicited  _  ___  _  _  _  ___  __ 

3 

3 

To  support  husband 

8 

2 

10 

— 

268  1 

— 

41  - 299 

Table  XII — Education. 


White. 

Total. 

Col¬ 

ored. 

Total. 

Grand 

Totals. 

Fifth  grade  _  ___  __  _ 

Eighth  grade  ___  __  _ 

First  year  high  school  __  _  _  _ 

Second  year  high  school  . 

Third  year  high  school _ 

Fourth  year  high  school 

Second  year  college  _  __  _  _  _ 

College  graduate _ _ _ _  _  _ 

80 

186 

20 

28 

4 

15 

11 

2 

346 

22 

31 

6 

6 

1 

1 

3 

1 

71 

102 

217 

26 

34 

5 

16 

14 

3 

117 

Table  XIII- 

-Church. 

Col¬ 

Grand 

White. 

Total. 

ored. 

Total. 

Totals. 

Protestant  -  _  _  _ _ _ 

160 

37 

197 

Catholic  -  ___  _  __  __  _  __  _ 

87 

2 

89 

Non-church  -  __  __  _  _ 

130 

31 

161 

■ - 

377 

— 

,  70 

- 447 

Table  XIV — Average  Visitors  Per  Day. 


White. 

Total. 

Col¬ 

ored. 

Total. 

Grand 

Totals. 

Two  -  _  _  _—  —  _  _  _ 

34 

68 

7 

14 

82 

Three  - _  _  _  _ _ _  — 

54 

162 

22 

66 

228 

Four  _  _  _  _  _  — 

70 

280 

13 

52 

332 

Five.  -  _  -  -  _  _  _ 

88 

440 

12 

60 

500 

Six  _  _ _  ______ - 

78 

468 

7 

42 

510 

Eight -  -  - 

31 

248 

248 

Ten  -  _  —  _  - - - 

9 

90 

2 

20 

110 

1756 

254 

2110 

